Minoan Civilization

Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and came to dominate the shores and islands of the Aegean Sea. The civilization flourished as a maritime power from approximately the 27th century to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century by British archaeologist Arthur Evans. Will Durant referred to this civilization as "the first link in the European chain." Hominids first appeared on Crete approximately 130,000 years ago, during the Middle Paleolithic age. Axes, of the type that has been attributed to Homo erectus in Africa and made of local quartz rather than flint, have been found at Preveli Gorge in southern Crete. Archaeological evidence points to the island's settlement between the late 8th and early 7th millennia BC. However, it was not until 5000 BC that the first signs of advanced agriculture appeared. Minoan civilization is considered to have begun with the palace complexes that appeared in the Bronze Age. The relationships of the Minoans with the more ancient peoples of Crete are unknown.